Three issues you could have resolved: 1. Don't fly, drive. Planes are expensive, and you wouldn't have spent anywhere near the same amount in parking, taxis and coaches as you would have if you just got the Tunnel (return is about £100). Over £1k for 4 shows in a van is mental too. You can hire a mini splitter van in the UK for under £100 a day if you're lucky. 2. Get better merch if that's all you're selling. Merch is a far greater source of income than show fees these days, so having good stuff at the right prices is crucial. If you had driven, you would also have been able to take more with you. Sure everyone has off days and bad shows, but that income funds being a band. 3. Book. More. Shows. You could have extended that into a run starting in the UK, through Belgium, NL, Germany and back again. Those shows (fees and merch sales) would have covered the van/fuel for the way there, essentially wiping out your transport costs. The biggest cost for UK bands going to EU nowadays is a Carnet, but it lasts a full year (and you didn't even get one anyway). Plan ahead, and do a year with as many EU shows as you can, then a year without and spread your costs long term.
Really informative, thanks Joe. I'd be interested to know in future how much you plan your choice of countries/gigs against the cost of the driver and petrol once you're over there.
We book the gigs first, that's difficult enough as it is. Just try and get the best fees and route. Then you try and get a driver for as cheap as possible once all that's done.
Bro 4 shows is not a tour it’s just 4 shows. You lost money and you will continue to lose money because you are not playing enough shows. You should be doing at least 4 tours per year of at least 30 days each with at last 20 shows played per tour. More like five six week tours with at least 35 shows each. Plus you are most certainly not spending enough on promotions. Work more, get paid more, put more back into the band.
Whilst I agree that four shows isn't a huge amount, what you're suggesting is extremely over the top for a DIY band, most UK bands tend to go over to Mainland Europe for a small scattering of dates at a time, over time many do more and more dates as they gain more of a following, it's a snowball effect at the end of the day and despite this there's many fairly established and well known bands that don't do more than a small scattering of dates especially if they're the headliner The amount of shows your suggesting simply isn't realistic for bands unless they're already well known and established, what you're suggesting would cost many thousands and simply isn't viable for most bands
@@christopherknowlesPeople refuse to face the reality of oversaturation. There's new bands every week and only a tiny percentage of the older ones ever retire. So there's thousands of bands touring and competing for a finite amount of attention and money.
Three issues you could have resolved:
1. Don't fly, drive. Planes are expensive, and you wouldn't have spent anywhere near the same amount in parking, taxis and coaches as you would have if you just got the Tunnel (return is about £100). Over £1k for 4 shows in a van is mental too. You can hire a mini splitter van in the UK for under £100 a day if you're lucky.
2. Get better merch if that's all you're selling. Merch is a far greater source of income than show fees these days, so having good stuff at the right prices is crucial. If you had driven, you would also have been able to take more with you. Sure everyone has off days and bad shows, but that income funds being a band.
3. Book. More. Shows. You could have extended that into a run starting in the UK, through Belgium, NL, Germany and back again. Those shows (fees and merch sales) would have covered the van/fuel for the way there, essentially wiping out your transport costs.
The biggest cost for UK bands going to EU nowadays is a Carnet, but it lasts a full year (and you didn't even get one anyway). Plan ahead, and do a year with as many EU shows as you can, then a year without and spread your costs long term.
how is switching from left to right side driving? would they not have to switch cars? also, it takes time to drive from UK to Prague
Really informative, thanks Joe. I'd be interested to know in future how much you plan your choice of countries/gigs against the cost of the driver and petrol once you're over there.
We book the gigs first, that's difficult enough as it is. Just try and get the best fees and route. Then you try and get a driver for as cheap as possible once all that's done.
Bro 4 shows is not a tour it’s just 4 shows. You lost money and you will continue to lose money because you are not playing enough shows. You should be doing at least 4 tours per year of at least 30 days each with at last 20 shows played per tour. More like five six week tours with at least 35 shows each. Plus you are most certainly not spending enough on promotions. Work more, get paid more, put more back into the band.
Whilst I agree that four shows isn't a huge amount, what you're suggesting is extremely over the top for a DIY band, most UK bands tend to go over to Mainland Europe for a small scattering of dates at a time, over time many do more and more dates as they gain more of a following, it's a snowball effect at the end of the day and despite this there's many fairly established and well known bands that don't do more than a small scattering of dates especially if they're the headliner
The amount of shows your suggesting simply isn't realistic for bands unless they're already well known and established, what you're suggesting would cost many thousands and simply isn't viable for most bands
Lol what... 80 shows a year? That's ridiculous. Don't be silly.
@@Venombullet666 yeah it’s super easy to be unsuccessful.
@@charliefuller2248 ideally more like 200 shows per year.
@@christopherknowlesPeople refuse to face the reality of oversaturation. There's new bands every week and only a tiny percentage of the older ones ever retire. So there's thousands of bands touring and competing for a finite amount of attention and money.